Original subtitles

[Legend of the Magnate]

[Episode 9]

Master Jin.

Madam Jin.

Manager Li.

Manager Li.

Manager Li.

You're here.

You're here.

[Kindhearted and Serene]

Please sit down.

I am the eldest son of the Kang family, Kang Suyuan.

Nice to see you all.

[Kindhearted and Serene]

The fact that you've come today

to help the Kang family out of this crisis

is a great kindness.

I won't thank each of you individually.

Over the years,

the Kang family's business

has been smooth sailing,

which made us arrogant enough

to take on anything.

This time, we accepted a court assignment

to transport military supplies.

We thought we could make a good profit,

but inexplicably,

a sudden fire burned everything to ashes.

My father, in his distress,

coughed up blood and died.

I'm here in mourning clothes to auction off our family property.

What a disgrace of a son.

But the country is at war,

and people are dying by the thousands.

If the military supplies problem isn't solved,

who knows how many more

widows and orphans there will be.

What are my troubles compared with that?

So I invited you all here today

to bid together.

[Kindhearted and Serene]

Here are all the Kang family's lands,

houses,

and shops,

stretching from Shanxi to Shaanxi

and down to Sichuan.

There are about 40,000 mu of good farmland,

217 shops,

and 3 large restaurants.

[Kang Family's Property]

[Total value: 7 million taels of silver]

All our assets are here.

If anyone has doubts,

please come forward and take a look.

With so much property,

wouldn't it be better to borrow money instead?

Would the Eight Families

really stand by and do nothing?

Madam.

Allow me to speak.

Actually,

these assets

came from my ancestor,

who failed in his studies,

switched to learning a craft

and failed again,

and later found

a petty clerk's job in the army camp,

earning only a few maces a month.

Later,

he was put in charge of transporting goods

for the army

and met many heroes

from all over the country.

My great-grandfather was generous, righteous,

and a man of his word.

Though he was physically weak,

everyone respected him as a true man of honor.

Later, several friends

pooled money to open an escort agency for him,

and that's when he suddenly became wealthy.

As the old saying goes,

"a gentleman's fortune lasts only three generations."

Today marks the third generation.

Although the Eight Families take care of each other,

my great-grandfather once vowed that

he would never burden his peers.

So today,

I ask friends from all over to make way.

Even if the Kangs can't do business anymore,

we must not lose our dignity.

That's all I have to say.

Please place your bids.

Whoever can buy the Kang family

will be quite something.

So how will

the Eight Families rank from now on?

Who knows?

Everyone,

I'll start.

Six million taels.

Thank you.

Seven million taels!

Nine million taels!

Thank you.

Eleven million taels!

Why aren't you bidding?

I don't want the hassle.

Our family already has so many shops

that we can barely manage them all.

You have no idea.

The more money, the more trouble.

That's a clever way to put it.

If I were truly clever,

I wouldn't even be here.

Thirteen million taels!

Fourteen million taels!

Everyone,

enjoy your meal.

The auction won't end

until this banquet is over.

Everyone might as well take a look

[Kindhearted and Serene]

and think it over carefully.

Ms. Su,

why aren't you competing with them?

My money doesn't grow on trees.

Who wants to compete with them like that?

So you can't

win the property.

Must it be about money?

He's quite foolish.

There are

lots of things in this world

more valuable than money.

You'll see soon enough.

More valuable things?

[Kindhearted and Serene]

Congratulations.

Should I congratulate you now

or wait a little longer?

Congratulate me for what?

For successfully joining the Eight Families.

Don't be ridiculous.

There are plenty of rich people.

Didn't you hear what she said?

There are things

more important than money.

What things?

Human lives.

Someone's dead!

Murder!

Murder!

Someone is dead!

This...

Here too!

Here too!

Here too!

Mr. Zhang is dead.

Manager Qin is also dead.

Clean it up

and report to the government.

Everything was fine.

Why are there deaths now?

Everyone.

Everyone.

Please stay calm.

A few friends are drunk.

No one is dead. I promise.

[Kindhearted and Serene]

Please continue enjoying your drinks.

Don't listen to the servants' nonsense.

Please.

Please.

Drink up.

Make a decision already!

Just decide who's the buyer

and we'll leave!

We'll do it right away.

Here, have a drink.

What happened?

Mr. Zhang from Hangzhou

and his bodyguards are dead.

The Li family from Huzhou,

and the Wang family from Suzhou.

All those who made a bid just now are...

Yes.

Everyone who made a bid is dead.

She's from the south.

I'm sure she's going to

drag our family down.

We need to find a way to fight back.

Ms. Su.

My boss ordered me

to make absolutely sure

I secure the Kang family's property.

Could you let me take it?

Those people died horribly just now.

It was you?

You're not planning

to join them, are you?

No.

I think

someone is trying to force the Eight Families to death,

wanting to take everything

without paying a coin.

Was it done by people from the underworld?

I don't think so.

They don't have

that kind of power.

We should stay put

and let the culprit show themselves.

Dead people!

There really are dead people!

Make up your mind already!

Everyone!

Everyone!

Today I'm selling the Kang family's assets.

I truly don't know why people died.

We're not doing a deal

where we die!

Let's go!

Let's go!

Every-

Get back!

-Sit down! -Sit down!

By His Highness's order,

no one drinking here today

is allowed to leave!

If the Kang family's property isn't sold

and the military supplies can't be delivered,

you can all prepare to die!

Sit down, all of you!

Continue the bidding!

Seven million taels.

[Kindhearted and Serene]

Manager Li,

since they're all dead,

I'll follow your bid.

Okay.

Alright, alright.

Alright.

Clever.

Eight million taels.

Ten million taels.

Young man,

you look unfamiliar.

As long as you know it, that's enough.

It's not unfamiliar, right?

Eleven million taels!

Everyone, I'll place a bid too.

I'd like to see

if I will get killed today.

Fourteen million taels!

Fifteen million taels!

No matter what you bid,

I'll always add another million.

Everyone, forgive me.

I must win today.

Hurry up!

Any more bids?

Twenty million taels!

What?

Is Li Baiwan's family in the capital

not eligible?

You're joining too, aren't you?

Yes.

Quite lively here.

But you're not go to do this...

to me and Mr. Gu, are you?

What are you trying to do?

I'm thinking the same as you.

I want to snatch this bargain.

Didn't you say you'd help me?

Come on.

What was your bid again?

Twenty million taels.

Twenty...

Twenty-one million!

Twenty-five million!

Twenty-six million!

Even if you boiled Wang Tiangui's bones into oil,

you couldn't get that much money.

I have it in my draft bank.

I'll lend it to him.

I'm doing this for your father.

Why are you interfering?

Spending 26 million

can make you happy?

Do you know what I want most?

I want to see you and my father

defeated just once.

Childish.

Mr. Gu, right?

Please come over here.

Everyone,

if there are no objections,

the Kang family's property...

now belongs to Taiyufeng.

Manager Kang,

26 million taels is a large sum.

Please allow me to settle it within 10 days.

Thank you.

With so much money,

why did you kill them?

Madam, what are you thinking?

I didn't kill them.

Good.

From now on, Taiyufeng

will be part of the Eight Families.

Congratulations, Mr. Gu.

Congratulations.

His Highness has arrived!

Why is His Highness here?

Your Highness.

The rebels are running rampant,

[Prince Shen]

and the imperial court is pressing urgently.

Without money and supplies,

the army can't be sustained.

You can't afford to take the blame.

I am selling off my family property.

Within 10 days,

I'll repay the military supplies.

Ten days?

Is this what the Eight Families do?

The country is in crisis,

yet you're all here haggling.

The imperial court says I'm

too soft-hearted.

Well, I have no choice now.

Lock them all up.

At least I'll have something to report.

Yes!

Take them away!

If you don't pay within 3 days...

-Go! -Go!

None of you will survive.

Hurry up!

Move!

Hurry!

Move it!

Move!

Move!

Go!

Move!

Go!

You think having a bit of money

makes you humans?

To me,

you're nothing.

Move!

Hurry!

Move!

Hurry!

Well?

Your brother's head

will fall faster than his hat.

Gu...

It's gone sour.

Stop drinking—it's spoiled.

Sour or not, it's still food.

Mr. Gu,

tell them

you're not one of the Eight Families.

You don't need to suffer here.

I told them,

but they wouldn't listen.

They think

since I bought the Kang family's property,

I'm one of the Eight Families now.

Let's face this hardship together.

I'm afraid by tomorrow,

even this spoiled porridge will be gone.

Would you like a bowl?

[Wanyuandang]

I came to take over Shanxi.

With the way they run things—

small operations, small ambitions—

they can't keep their footing.

Before I came,

I told His Highness.

I'm opening a draft bank right here.

I've already thought of the name.

It will be called Taiping Bank.

From Pingyao,

it will spread to all the nearby counties

and eventually across the entire Qing Empire.

Taiping Bank will be a big pouch,

swallowing every draft bank

in Pingyao.

It's a fine business.

The Li family in the capital

will take over the draft bank business.

Three million taels in ransom for each family?

Isn't that bleeding the locals dry?

How could he even come up with that?

The imperial court has been asking us for money

quite a lot over the past few years.

Have they won any battles?

Just wait till I get out.

I have connections with a few people

in the Grand Council.

I'll buy myself an imperial censor and impeach him!

Mr. Sun, don't be angry.

In this situation,

without paying, none of us is getting out.

How will you ever get the chance

to buy yourself an imperial censor

and impeach him?

He's the famous

Prince of the Iron Helmet.

His words can shake mountains.

You think you can impeach him?

You've got a point.

I'm just curious about one thing.

At the Jinyang Villa gathering,

all the people we invited

are from the major banks in Shanxi.

How did they know so clearly?

They blocked the door

and arrested everyone.

I don't think

this is as simple as it looks.

Father,

you're here.

Well now.

It all depends on you now.

You two talk.

Why are you always hanging around

with that exile?

You already know what we've been doing?

We created a storefront pawning

and a door-to-door pawning.

We've turned Pingyao

upside down.

It was truly satisfying.

You may be satisfied,

but who will take the blame for harboring

an exile?

That won't fall on you.

Don't worry.

Just tell me,

why did you really come here?

I sincerely apologize

for the inconvenience.

His Highness asked me to check

whether you ate well.

You are all his guests.

If there's anything lacking

lacking in our hospitality,

please forgive us.

Your prince is too kind.

I don't have

3 million taels.

All my money is invested in tea.

Go confiscate my household

with an imperial decree.

I'm not qualified

to be His Highness's guest.

I don't have that much money.

About this matter,

we've already spoken to His Highness.

However,

His Highness has a noble status.

If he takes back

what he said,

he'll lose face, won't he?

The money in our draft banks

belongs to the people of Shanxi.

If it's all taken at once,

how will the people survive?

The imperial court

has already lost Jiangnan.

Now they want Shanxi

to fall into chaos too?

Young man,

you look unfamiliar.

May I know your name?

Everyone in this room

has only one name—

Silver.

Nickname: Ingot.

That's right.

Sir,

stop pretending to be polite.

State your terms.

Fine.

This time, His Highness brought

a draft bank from the capital,

planning to station it in Shanxi

to manage the army's grain and funds.

If you can't raise

the 3 million taels,

that draft bank can pay on your behalf.

You just need to sign and stamp your names.

As for

when you repay it,

you may discuss that among yourselves.

Robbers.

Strange things happen every year,

but this year is overflowing with them.

Pingyao now has a Wanyuandang,

said to be owned

by the son of Li Baiwan from the capital.

And now there's another big draft bank.

Our Eight Families

need a total of 24 million taels,

and they do in fact have it.

How can they be so rich?

Could it be

the God of Wealth himself has arrived?

Madam Jin,

this draft bank

belongs to Mr. Li, Li Wantang.

It's called Taiping Bank.

If you all accept this account

and are willing to sign,

I guarantee

you'll be released

immediately.

This Li Baiwan

is too ruthless.

Just to establish himself in Shanxi,

there's no need

to ruin all of us.

What is this?

Using officials to pressure us?

Since that's the case,

you can

keep drinking your porridge!

Father,

is this really okay?

You...

Just be good.

Don't cause trouble.

As long as you can watch and learn

from a distance,

that's all I ask.

Father,

I believe businessmen

should keep their word.

What you're doing

is robbery,

bullying with power,

kicking people when they're down—

it's unscrupulous!

My good son,

I think you

should just go back, study hard,

and try to earn an official title.

Trying to be a good person?

[Loan Ledger of Taiyufeng, Eighth Year of the Xianfeng Reign]

How much silver did His Highness get

from Taiping Bank that made him

pull off this stunt?

No one really knows, I think.

I just feel that

you've barely joined the Eight Families,

and already encountered such trouble.

It's fake.

Fake? What's fake?

Which businessman

would keep all their money

in one place?

Besides,

which draft bank

could even come up with

3 million taels in cash?

I think the demand for silver is just a pretext.

Taiping Bank wants to

take over all the business

of our draft banks

for themselves.

That's their real goal.

Once these wealthy families of the Eight Families

sign the loan,

they'll be as good as

meat on someone's board.

This Li Baiwan...

is quite cunning.

Is His Highness coming?

I don't know.

Everyone,

please forgive me.

I had no choice

but to meet you in prison.

Li Wantang?

Mr. Li,

are you here to mock us?

I wouldn't dare.

We're all in the same line of trade.

I just came to see

if I could be of any help.

You could.

Hurry and tell His Highness

to release us.

We didn't kill anyone or set fire to anything.

Keeping us here?

How undignified.

Since ancient times, officials have had two mouths—

the words from the two mouths are different.

Reasoning with them doesn't work.

I can pay the 24 million taels first

to help you

escape this disaster.

What do you think?

What a show of power.

The whole Qing Empire

only makes this much in a year.

What exactly are you trying to do?

Times are tough, Madam.

Those of us in business

need to work together even more.

I've been in the capital

for too long, rarely visiting Shanxi,

but I still have

some influential connections

at the imperial court.

Consider this 3 million taels

as my entry into the Eight Families.

If you have any obstacles

to overcome,

Taiping Bank

will help smooth them over.

I'm not trying to take over

the Eight Families.

It's out of respect for your predecessors,

offering my humble assistance.

That's a bit much.

That's not the right way to see it.

Fine.

If you don't agree,

I'll just return to the capital.

Fine.

Fine.

But the military situation is urgent,

and His Highness has a fiery temper.

When I came, he said,

"The Eight Families"

"hold King Li's Treasure."

"Why won't they let go of a little profits?"

"It's infuriating."

King Li's Treasure?

Every child in Shanxi

grows up knowing this story,

right?

Yes.

You actually believe that?

Weren't you here

for King Li's Treasure too?

Back then, King Li's army was incredibly fierce.

They came out of the Qinling Mountains,

passed through the Taihang Mountains,

broke through Tongguan Pass, flooded Kaifeng,

swept across the Yellow River,

and conquered the Central Plains.

But what happened

after they got all that wealth?

The generals indulged in pleasure,

the soldiers feared death,

and in the end

they came to a mysterious downfall.

What was it all for?

That's truly a terrible omen.

Those words are really insightful.

You're... Gu Pingyuan?

Yes.

My son mentions you often.

Your words show great insight.

However,

that's a scholar's perspective.

If you want to go into business in the future,

that would be a big mistake.

What mistake?

Gold and silver

are public tools of the world.

They carry no inherent good or evil.

People are responsible

for their own mistakes.

Blaming money itself

makes no sense.

There is no money that cannot be used,

no person that cannot be employed.

Remember that.

I, Li Wantang, pay respects to Your Highness.

Your plan didn't work.

The imperial court

ordered me to go to Shandong to suppress the rebellion,

but I keep delaying my advance.

If I hold up the imperial court's important matters,

who takes the blame,

you or me?

Your Highness.

These merchants are extremely cunning.

If we don't wait long enough,

this won't succeed.

Each of them

is well-connected with powerful officials at court.

If they find a censor

and report me for bleeding the locals dry,

I won't be able to handle it.

Your Highness.

I'm a businessman.

I understand businessmen best.

These wealthy people

may look generous from the outside,

but deep down,

every single one of them is stingy.

Their money is practically glued to their ribs.

When you really ask them to hand it over,

you'd need a pair of pliers to pull it out,

with the strength

of ripping out their tendons.

Three million taels

won't come that easily.

If you don't push them

to the brink,

you'll never get what you want.

Does...

King Li's Treasure really exist

in this world?

Your Highness, look.

Pingyao and Taigu

are the birthplaces of Shanxi's wealth.

In terms of transportation,

this region is surrounded by mountains.

As for resources, there are no gold or silver mines.

As for talents,

the people here are honest and plain,

with no long tradition of doing business.

Yet right after the Ming dynasty fell,

these two places suddenly became rich.

Now look here.

These are Taihang Mountains.

King Li fled along this route,

spreading out from here to both sides.

I'm certain...

the treasure

exists,

and

hasn't been much depleted.

As for the so‑called Eight Families,

they've been in business

for generations.

Business has its profits and losses.

How have they stayed prosperous

for over a hundred years?

Where did their capital come from?

How could this be possible?

Li Wantang,

Li Baiwan.

You'd better

not be wrong.

I burned the military supplies,

and that was your idea.

If I delay the military operations,

fail to find the treasure,

and lose the military supplies on top of that,

then I'll have no choice

but to use your head

to make up for the loss.

Your Highness, don't worry.

Trust me.

By then,

the treasure will be yours,

and Shanxi will be mine.

As long as you understand what's at stake.

Within 3 days,

make up the money for the military supplies.

No matter what,

I have to cross the Yellow River into Shandong

and fight this battle.

Kang,

how could you be so careless

as to let

the military supplies

get burned?

You think I wanted them burned?

I never wanted to take the deal in the first place.

The local officials

forced me to do it.

The fire

must have been set by them.

Putting everything together,

this might be a chain of traps.

They burned His Highness's military supplies,

forced the Kang family to sell their property,

then

arrested everyone—

step by step leading to the situation we're in now.

Even if every one of you

could bring out

3 million taels in cash,

they would still

keep squeezing you.

Because what they truly want

is King Li's Treasure.

Why do people in this world

love to talk nonsense?

As the saying goes,

"a gentleman's only crime is to carry a jade."

Whether we admit it or not,

as long as they believe we have it,

we're guilty.

I'm thinking

that this stalemate can't go on.

We should talk to His Highness

and have both sides take a step back.

Such childish talk.

Why would he take a step back?

To the government,

we're nothing but ants.

If they find out

we don't have

King Li's Treasure at all,

we probably won't even get this spoiled porridge anymore.

That makes sense.

Do you

really have

3 million taels in cash

on hand right now?

We already said we don't.

The money in the draft banks belongs to the depositors.

Our own capital

is all tied up in goods.

You don't have it.

Even if you don't, we can't just

sit here and let them push us to death,

right?

Then tell us,

what should we do?

I've been thinking—

no matter how wealthy Li Wantang is,

at the end of the day

he's a merchant just like us.

Everything he's doing

is simply

to seize control of all the draft banks

in Shanxi.

Here's what we can do.

First, we give His Highness an IOU,

pretending we're willing to take on this debt

and will deliver the silver

on the date he sets. His

His Highness

isn't a local official.

He could be called to war at any moment.

24 million taels of silver

can't be spent

in just one night.

As long as he gives us some time

to maneuver,

we can turn around

and go all out

against Li Wantang

and force him out of Shanxi.

I believe that

without His Highness backing him,

he wouldn't

have such great power.

No way.

It's easy for the Eight Families to accept the debt,

but Li Wantang isn't a child.

He has plenty of methods.

If he makes this IOU

public

and announces that our draft banks

owe the imperial court money,

our credibility

will be ruined overnight.

The depositors will fear

we're using their money

to fill the imperial court's bottomless pit.

If there's a bank run,

how could we handle it?

Who says business

must be done with actual silver?

Bro,

you've had too much spoiled porridge.

Your brain's gone off.

Madam.

Right now none of us has a single coin on hand.

But I want to make a business deal

of 100 thousand taels with you.

Is that possible?

For example,

this bowl in your hand

is worth 100 thousand taels.

I want it.

But all my money

is deposited with Manager Sun.

What should I do?

Manager Sun,

please give me 100 thousand taels.

I don't have any silver.

And even if I did, carrying it around

would be troublesome.

Your jade pendant looks quite nice.

Could you give it to me as a token?

That's easy.

Madam,

Manager Sun said

that as long as you see this token,

you'll know

that the 100 thousand taels

have already been credited to your account.

With this token,

may I

take this bowl now?

Was this agreed upon before?

When we conduct a real transaction,

we need a contract.

This way,

the Eight Families can handle

entries and records from one account to another

without using a single tael

of cash.

If there's a bank run,

the combined strength of the Eight Families

will be more than enough to handle it.

And if each family acts alone,

each can use its own credit

to guarantee the others.

Transaction records must be kept

for year-end accounting.

As long as the business

stays within the Eight Families,

one written note

can be worth a million in silver.

What do you think of this method?

But what if...

What if one family

breaks the rules?

What if one of them faces a bank run

and the others don't know in time,

and the funds can't be shifted quickly enough?

And also,

what if all Eight Families

face a bank run at the same time?

We can appoint a chief manager

to check the funds every day

and publicly announce

an alliance of the Eight Families.

That way, even if a bank run happens,

the impact won't be too great.

Maybe one or two families will suffer,

but it shouldn't be too hard

to handle.

Good.

It's truly good.

If we had thought of

this earlier,

Li Baiwan

would never have gained a foothold in Shanxi,

and we wouldn't have been

taken advantage of by outsiders.

So who will take

this chief manager position?

How about letting me try?

It's just for show anyway,

just to get through

our current difficulties.

That is,

if you consider me

one of your own.

We've been eating

spoiled porridge from the same pot these past few days.

Of course you're one of us.

You're part of the Eight Families now.

I don't think letting him join

is a bad idea.

Alright.

You'll be the chief manager.

It was your idea.

Show everyone how it's done.

Does anyone have objections?

Alright.

In that case,

I hope by this time tomorrow,

we're no longer eating spoiled porridge.

I'll go negotiate with them.

It's settled.

Guards!

I need to see His Highness!

Send out my order.

Deploy 20,000 troops

to Mount Liang area

and tighten the net.

Your Highness.

I would like to report to you on behalf of

the Eight Families of Hedong.

I request a private audience.

A private audience?

You think you deserve that?

I don't, of course.

But does silver

deserve it?